Leeds United 3 Chelsea 1: Lee Sobot's video verdict
Leeds United will face Premier League champions Liverpool at Elland Road on Saturday evening.
Liverpool will be aiming to kickstart their defence of their Premier League title and move on from a disappointing run of form when they visit Leeds United on Saturday evening.
The Reds strolled to only their second Premier League title win during Arne Slot’s first season in charge at Anfield - but have not had things all their own way during the opening four months of their second year under the watch of the former Feyenoord head coach. Despite an eye-watering spend during the summer transfer window that saw the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz added to their title-winning squad, Liverpool are currently sitting in eighth place in the table and are now 11 points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
There was further criticism aimed towards Slot and his players in the aftermath of a 1-1 home draw with Sunderland on Wednesday night and Leeds’ former Championship promotion rivals came close to securing all three points in their visit to Anfield. Chemsdine Talbi put the Black Cats in front midway through the second half before a deflected Wirtz effort eventually snatched a share of the points for the champions. However, it could have been very different if Reds winger Federico Chiesa had not blocked a goalbound shot by Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor deep in injury-time.
By contrast, Leeds produced their best performance of the season on Wednesday night as Jaka Bijol, Ao Tanaka and Dominic Calvert-Lewin all found the net in an impressive home win against Chelsea that has taken Daniel Farke’s men three points clear of the relegation zone and has reduced the concern that could have lingered ahead of their home clash with the champions.
Speaking at his own post-match press conference after the draw with the Black Cats, Liverpool boss Slot was asked if Anfield had lost its ‘fear factor’ for visiting sides and seemed to hint it was his own players that has lost some of the threat once feared by opposition players.
Possible
Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, applauds fans after the Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield on December 03, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)placeholder image
Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, applauds fans after the Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield on December 03, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
He said: “No, not Anfield. For sure. But it's clear that teams that play us now think they can get a result. Not only think, because that has been shown this season. And even in the games we've won, they also fuelled the confidence for other teams like, 'Hmm, something is possible' because the wins we had at the beginning of the season weren't easy ones as well.
"I don't completely agree with you that they grew into the game because I think throughout the whole second half there was only one team that had the ball and only one team that was playing on one half. But yeah, if they got a free-kick off the referee or they had a goal-kick, they could bring it to our half with a long ball.
"And we had to defend three or four times a set-piece and a throw-in and a corner kick. And of course, that is a danger with them because they have shown this season that they are a threat in set-pieces. The good thing for us is we didn't concede from a set-piece. Maybe as a result, we got at least a point."
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